Miriam Keys

April 16, 2014

EAST LIVERPOOL - Lifetime area resident Miriam D. Torrence Keys, 72, passed away at 5:20 p.m. Monday, April 14, 2014 at Forbes Hospice in Pittsburgh. She was widely known and fondly re-membered as an educator in Beaver Local Schools, where she had taught for over thirty years until her retirement in 1995.

Miriam was a daughter of the late Harry Torrence and Virginia Sayre Torrence Kincaid, and was born in East Liverpool on May 2, 1941.

A 1959 graduate of Beaver Local High School, she furthered her education at Roberts Wesleyan College in North Chili, New York. Following college, she returned to the area to begin her longtime career in educating countless area students.

She was a member of the First Free Methodist Church in East Liverpool, and belonged to the craft class.

Surviving her at home is her husband, William L. Keys, whom she married on October 6, 1979.

Miriam also leaves behind a daughter, Joelle Pratali and her husband, Robert, of Columbus, along with a son, Timothy Keys of Columbiana. There are seven grandchildren: Andrea "Nikki" Keys, Jacqualin Keys, Brooke Keys, Kirk Keys, Tyler Keys, Zachary and Nathan Pratali, as well as five great-grandchildren.

In addition, she is survived by a sister, Jean Perry and her husband, Gus, of St. Augustine, FL.

Services will be conducted at the Dawson Funeral Home on Friday at 11:00 a.m., with Pastor Steve Forsyth of the church officiating. Miriam will be laid to rest at Riverview Cemetery.

Friends may visit at the funeral home on Thursday, where the family will be present from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m.